Myrsine africana, It Turns Out/Traschelospermum Starring Moment

 

I decided to leave the Nandina and the Myrtle where they were and bought a Myrsine africana, common name "African Boxwood" (no it's not boxwood, it just plays like one).  Purchased it to hide the unattractive piping and valves by the front door.   The name Myrsine is from the Greek name for the similar-looking Myrtle.  This species is native to many places from Africa to Arabia and Southeast Asia, one place of which is the western  Cape region of South Africa, a climate very similar to ours.  It handles summer dry and summer heat perfectly well and has dense, evergreen growth, perfect for hiding something.   I've long wanted to try this plant, and the opportunity to do so has arrived.  

 The star of the garden, indeed the star of many gardens in our neighborhood at the moment is Trachelospermum jasminoides, common name "Star Jasmine".  Common, useful plant as vine but also as  groundcover.  I grow several as vines.

A very pretty place to store the trash bins.  I moved the bins for the photo:

The flowers are sweetly fragrant.

It's fighting off the Hardenbergia for control of the arch:

Any thing else at its best in this moment?  Aloe pseudorubrovioladea, now ready for the orioles to pull off the flowers one at a time and fly of with them:

After much thought, I'll plant the Myrsine in a pot (they do well in pots for quite a long while) and see how it does, before putting it into the ground.  

Lately I've been enjoying the garden more than getting anything accomplished in it.  

But that's okay, too.  

The Hunnemannia are fabulous this spring.

Seeing this newborn Mantid was magic:

I hope you are seeing Spring's magic in your garden, too.